Purandare is prominent Indian family of Nobles, Sardars, Patil, Jagirdars during Maratha Empire. They belong to Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin (DRB) community.[1] Dhondo Malhar Purandare, a member of purandare family held the patilki watan of Vadule, a village in present day Shevgaon taluka in Ahmednagar district.[2] Purandare wada (palace} in Saswad was the seat of the Purandares until 1818, when the Peshwas lost control to the British East India Company after the Third Anglo-Maratha War.The Purandare Wada still stands but is in a much dilapidated state.[3] The design of the Purandare wada was the inspiration for the better known Shaniwar Wada in Pune.[4]
Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath rose to prominence through the support of Purandare.[5] After becoming Peshwa, Balaji made Ambaji Pant Purandare as his Mutalik, or 'deputy Peshwa.'[6] Ambaji Pant Purandare is the founder of the Purandare family.[7] In 1727, a dispute concerned the posts of Kulkarni and Deshkulkarni between the Purandares and Atreyas in which the Purandares won.[8]